Knowing how to remove a tick is important for all pet owners. Ticks are parasites that may be picked up in woodlands and mountainous areas. Ticks are mostly present in the summer period (between May and September) and may be carriers of infections such as the Lyme disease, which can have severe consequences if left untreated. If the tick is removed before it can release his toxins in the dog’s blood stream, the dog may not get an infection.
Methods of Removing Ticks
Ticks are typically removed with sterile tweezers or needles, but these methods may be painful and you may end up tearing the tick’s body and the tick may release his toxins under the dog’s skin.
Other methods that may be helpful to remove ticks include cigarette lighters, burnt out matches, liquid soap, petroleum jelly or rubbing alcohol. The cigarette lighter and the match methods are also painful and shouldn’t be used. The petroleum jelly and the rubbing alcohol methods may be dangerous, as they may irritate the tick and make it release his toxins.
However, the liquid soap method will cause no pain and may be applied.
The Liquid Soap Method
The liquid soap method may be effective in safely removing the tick from under your pet’s skin, without breaking the tick.
You will need a liquid soap (preferably with natural ingredients), cotton balls or cotton tipped swabs.
The process in simple and you should follow a few steps:
1. Get a bit of liquid soap on a cotton ball or a cotton tipped swab, which can be applied in less accessible spaces as well (ears or in between the toes).
2. Apply the cotton ball on the tick and hold it for half a minute. The tick should remove its head from the dog’s skin, as a reaction to the soap.
3. Remove the cotton ball; the tick should get entangled in the cotton.
4. Place the cotton with the tick in a sealed jar or in a Ziploc bag, so that the vet can check the tick for possible viruses.
Be Cautious
Never handle a tick with bare hands; get a pair of household gloves and throw them away after using them. The Lyme disease may be transmitted from the tick to humans as well.
Don’t flush the tick down the toilet, as the tick may not be killed.
Don’t crush the tick after removing it; you should keep the tick and show it to your vet.
Even if you manage to remove the tick in less than 4 hours after the tick has penetrated the dog’s skin, you should visit the vet, as the tick may have infected your pet.
Always check your pet’s skin after outings in woodlands or bushy areas.
There are a few tick preventive measures and topical solutions that you can opt for; there are also homeopathic methods that can keep ticks off your dog.